Bathing equipment



March 3, 1931. E. TAYLOR BA'IHING EQUIPMENT Filed July 51, 1928 INVENTOR M ATTORNEY5 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 siren nnwann 'rAYLon, or nnoonnrn, new YORK BATHING EQUIPMENT Application filed Jul 31, .92s. Serial No. 236,488.

This invention relates to bathing equipment for infants, and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for facilitating bathing and ssing infants, which,

5 when not in use, forms a traveling case of suflicient capacity for carrying all the clothes and other equipment necessary when traveling with an infant.

Moreparticularly the objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus of this class which may be used in conjunction with ordinary bath tubs to provide a ready means for giving an infant a shower or spray bath;

' to provide a dressing tray alongside, to which I the infant may be readily transferred for dressing; and further to provide an article of this class which occupies but little space, which may be readily cleaned, which is light and strong,"whicl1 may be easily handled, 2 and which when closed up forms a traveling case of about the capacity of a good sized suit case. p

A further object of the invention is to provide a special form of spray nozzle for use in connection with the bath tub faucet, the spray being designed to lie flat and also to produce a convering rather than a diverging spray, for reasons which will be later eX- plained.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in said drawings Fi 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatus ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the action of the spray;

Fig. is an enlarged detail view of the Q) spray nozzle;

Fig. 4c is a perspective View ratus ready for packing; 7

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the apparatus when folded to form a traveling case; and r Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the apof the appaparatus enclosedin its detachable cover.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Fig, 1, my invention consists essentially of two rectangular frames 1 and 2, which are of a lengthto fit across the top of a standard bath tub. Fully ninety-five percent of the bathtubs sold today are withinthe range of thirtyto thirty-two inches in width, the e idard size being thirty inches. The ice 1 and 2 will therefore preferably be made thirty-three inches in length over all, which allows the endsto rest on the rim of a thirty-two inch tub without projecting too far over the edge of a thirty inch tub. The frames may be any convenient width, for eX- ample,twenty-four inches, and are hinged together as indicated at 3.

Un the side opposite from the hinge the .frame 1 is provided with a covering of stout copper cloth of fairly close mesh, as indicated'at T he frames are preferably made L of woodenbars about one and a quarter inches bytwo inches, and'the screening is preferably fastened in tne edge of one side of the frame 1 by forcing the edge of the screen onto a lrerf in the face of the, frameand then driving screws or nails 5 fromthe inside so as to leave a clear margin of woodaround the outside of the frame The frame 2 is similarly covered with a sheet 6 of heavy duck, so that when the frames are open as far as permitted by the hinge 3, they form a continuous table across the bath tub, half of which is covered with wire screening and the other half of whichis covered with duck. In order to hold the frames in place on the tube 1 preferably provide a set of U- shaped holders 7. These holders are formed of spring members curved as shown, and with the ends turned laterally as indicated at 8 in Fig. 5, to fit into holes which are bored in the inner face of the longitudinal members of the frames, as indicated at 9 in Fig. 2. A series of holes is provided so that the sup ports may be differently placed to accommodate tubs of different widths. The holes are spaced apart somewhat less than the normal distance between the free ends of the holders, so that the holders will be under tension when in the holes and remain firmly in place. Ordinarily one pair of holders is placed in the outer or top frame member of one frame ,andthe. other pair in the inner or bottom member of the other frame, so that when the frames are close together as shown in Fig. 5, the holders will not interfere with each other. I-Ioles are however provided in all the longitudinal frame members so that the holders 7 may be placed wherever necessary to best hold the frames in place.

The outfit preferably includes a spray n07.- zle of the special form illustrated in Fig. 3. As shown, the spray nozzle consists of a ring 10 of pipe or tubing with holes for the discharge of water on the inside of the ring below the middle diameter of the tube so that the streams of water will form a converging spray as shown in Fig. 2.

By this arrangement all danger of splashing the water onto the dressing tray is avoided. What is more important, the spray lies fiat on the screen when not held in the hand and all the water is discharged through the screen.

The end of the tubing 10 which conducts the water to the perforated ring is preferably long enough to provide a handle between the ring and the end to which the hose is at tached whereby the spra: may be used after the fashion of a fountain brush in directing the water wherever desired. v

In using the apparatus a thin cloth may be spread over the screen, but the infant may be laid directly on the screen without discomfort. After bathing, the infant may be readily transferred to the dry dressing tray alongside, whereit may be conveniently dressed.

The outfit is particularly convenient for traveling, tne two' frames, when folded together, forming a traveling case which is sufiiciently commodious to carry all the necessary paraphernalia for the infant. In an ordinary sized apparatus the interior of the case is slightly over eighteen inches long, thirty inches high, and four inches deep. To facilitate carrying the outfit the frames are preferably provided with handles 11 rigidly attached to the outside longitudinal frame members and shaped so that when the frame members are folded together as shown in 5, the two handle sections form a tubular cir cular handle. i

For convenience in packing, I may provide a number of metal division strips 12 which, as shown in Fig. 4., may be inserted at their ends in l-Ierfs in the side frame members and thus divide the frame into a number of compartvments. If the articles to be packed in the frame do not permit use of the division strips, the strips may be readily removed from the kerfs and laid flat against the canvas, the ends of the strips slipping between the canvas and the frame, whereby the strips are held in place but are entirely out of the way.

I preferably provide cover for the folded frames as shown at 13 in Fig. 6. This cover may be made of any suitable material such as cloth or fabrikoid. The cover shown is for convenienceprovided with so-called hookless or Zipper fasteners extending from a point about the middle of the end frames to the adjacent end of the handles, and a strap with snap buttons as shown at 14; is provided to hook the two sides of the cover together be tween the handles. WVhen enclosed in its cover the outfit presents a neat and attractive appearance not distinguishable from a covered traveling bag.

In the appended claims I have referred to the covering for the frame 1 as wire cloth. It will be understood of course that the term is used generically and that any suitable fabric of sufficient strength and permitting the free passage of water therethrough may be employed instead.

I claim:

1. A combined carrying case and bath table comprising two frames, one of said,

frames having a covering on its outer side of material having openings throughout substantially its entire area for the free passage of water, the other of said frames having a covering of fabric on its outer side, said frames being hinged to each other at one marginal edge so that said frames may be swung to substantially coplanar position for use as a bathing apparatus.

2. A combined carrying case and bath tabl comprising two frames, one of said frames having a covering on its outer side of material having openings throughout substantially its entire area for the free'passage of water, the other of said frames having a covering of fabric on its outer side, said frames being hinged to each other at one marginal edge so that said frames may be swung to substantially coplanar position for use as a bathing apparatus, and means carried by said frames for preventing lateral displacement of said frames when said frames are swung to substantially coplanar position and placed on a bath tub.

3. A combined carrying case and bath table comprising two frames, one of said frames having a covering on its outer side of material having openings throughout substantially its entire area for the free passage .of water, the other of said frames having a covering of fabric on its outer side, said frames being hinged to each other at one marginal edge so that said frames may be swung to substantially coplanar position for use as a bathing apparatus, and detachable and adjustable members carried by said frames for preventing lateral displacement of said frames when said frames are swung to substantially coplanar position and placed on a bath tub.

4. A combined carrying case and bath free passage of water therethrough, the other of said frames having a covering of fabric on its outer side, said frames being hinged to' each other at one marginal edge so that said frames may be swung to substantially coplanar position for use asa bathing apparatus.

5. A bathing table comprising a pair of hinged frames, one of said, frames having a covering on one side thereof of material having openings throughout substantially its en tire area for the free passage of water, the

other of said frames having a covering of fabric on one side thereof.

6. In an artlcle of the class descrlbed, a pair of rectangular frames, hlnges connecting said frames whereby they may be closed together in superimposed position or opened to lie in the same plane, fabric coverings atered frames constitute a packing'case having unobstructed compartments of substantial capacity. 1

7. In an article of the class described, a pair of rectangular frames, hinges connecting said'frames whereby they may be closed together in superimposed position or opened to lie in the same plane, fabric coverings attachedto the said frames on the faces formingthe outer sides thereof when the frames are in closed position, one of said fabrics consisting of an open-mesh woven wire, said frames being of such depth that the two covered frames constitute apacking case having unobstructed compartments of substantial capacity. 7

8. An article of the class described, comprising two rectangular frames hinged together along one longitudinal edge of each to fold together or open out into the same plane, said frames being covered with fab-' ric, the fabric of one of said frames permit ting the free passage of water therethrough, handles on the longitudinal members of said frames opposite from the said hinges, and removable division'strips supported in said frames for dividing them into a plurality of compartments.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD TAYLOR. 

